# Crop PDF for journalists

_Updated July 2026 · Arthize · https://arthize.com/for/journalists/crop-pdf_

Arthize lets journalists and newsrooms crop a PDF in a private workspace — free, with no watermark. Cropping a PDF trims the margins or unwanted edges of pages, so scans and oversized layouts fit cleanly on screen and in print.

## Why journalists crop a PDF

A journalist OCRs a scanned document dump so it's searchable, extracts key tables into a spreadsheet, and redacts a source's identifying details plus metadata before publishing.

**Built for FOIA releases.** Whether it's FOIA releases, leaked documents, reports, Arthize's crop pdf keeps the work inside your private workspace. Source protection is paramount; documents must be handled privately and metadata stripped before publishing.

## What matters when you crop a PDF

Cropping changes the visible page box without deleting page content permanently.

It is useful for tightening scans with wide margins.

You can apply the same crop across every page.

## How to crop a PDF

1. **Open the crop tool** — Sign in and open the Crop tool.
2. **Add your PDF** — Upload the document to crop.
3. **Set the crop box** — Drag the margins to the area you want to keep.
4. **Download** — Get a cropped PDF.

## FAQ

### How do journalists crop a PDF for free?

Cropping a PDF trims the margins or unwanted edges of pages, so scans and oversized layouts fit cleanly on screen and in print. On Arthize it's free with no watermark, and the file is deleted after the job — which is why journalists and newsrooms can use it for FOIA releases without a confidentiality risk.

### Is it private to crop a PDF sensitive FOIA releases?

Yes. Source protection is paramount; documents must be handled privately and metadata stripped before publishing. Files are processed inside your private Arthize workspace and deleted after the job.

### How do I crop the margins of a PDF?

Cropping a PDF trims the margins or unwanted edges of pages, so scans and oversized layouts fit cleanly on screen and in print. On Arthize it's free with no watermark and processed privately.

### Can I crop every page of a PDF at once?

Cropping a PDF trims the margins or unwanted edges of pages, so scans and oversized layouts fit cleanly on screen and in print. On Arthize it's free with no watermark and processed privately.